Free Architect Job Description Templates
Free architect job description templates: general, project, junior, landscape, and small-firm architect. Download as DOCX and customize.
Architect Job Description Templates
5 free templates by type. Download as DOCX or copy-paste.
For an architecture studio, the architect is the heart of the practice, the person who turns a client's idea into drawings, documents, and ultimately a building. Hiring the right one matters, and the job description is where you make the role clear. Architect is a broad title, though: a building architect, a project architect, an early-career designer, and a landscape architect do different work, and the word is even used for technology roles that are nothing alike. A specific posting filters for the person who fits both the role and the reality of your firm.
At FirstHR, we build for small studios and firms that hire without an HR department, where the principal writes the posting between projects. The five templates below cover the most common versions of the building-design role: general architect, project architect, junior, landscape architect, and a small-firm version. Each is ready to use. Fill in the bracketed fields, adjust to match your firm, and post. For the general principles behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
What Is an Architect Job Description?
An architect job description is a document that explains the role's purpose, responsibilities, qualifications, and pay so you can post a job and attract the right candidates. It typically covers a job summary, key responsibilities, required qualifications and licensure, the salary range, and how to apply, plus a request for a portfolio. The SHRM job description tools describe a job description as a plain-language tool that explains the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a position, and that standard applies whether you are a large firm or a small studio.
People search architect job description, architecture job description, and job description of an architect for the same thing: a clear description of the role. Because the title spans junior designers to project architects, and because it is also used for unrelated technology roles, the most important job of the description is to make the discipline, role, and license requirement unmistakable. These templates focus on building-design architects, the traditional meaning of the word.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template that matches the type of architect you need. The core structure is the same across all five, but each one emphasizes the responsibilities, discipline, and language that fit a specific kind of role or firm. Use this guide to choose.
5 Free Architect Job Description Templates
Download all five as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each one follows the same structure: firm overview, job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications and licensure, compensation, and how to apply. Fill in the brackets before you post.
Template 1: Architect (General)
The licensed baseline. Designing buildings, preparing documents, ensuring code compliance, and seeing projects through construction. Use this if your role does not fit cleanly into a specific type.
Template 2: Project Architect
Leads projects and the team from design through construction, owning technical delivery, documents, and the client relationship. For an experienced architect who runs projects end to end.
Template 3: Junior / Intern Architect
An architectural designer producing drawings and details under supervision while logging hours toward licensure. For a recent architecture graduate.
Template 4: Landscape Architect
Designs outdoor and site spaces, from grading and planting to site features. For a licensed landscape architect blending design with site knowledge.
Template 5: Architect for a Small Firm / Studio
A versatile architect who works across all phases and project types at a small studio, close to clients and the principal. The differentiating version for a small practice.
Architect Duties and Responsibilities
An architect designs buildings and guides them through construction. The duties fall into four broad categories. A good job description picks the specific duties from each category that apply to your firm and the role's level rather than listing every possible task.
The mix shifts by role: a project architect weighs toward coordination and delivery, while a junior architect focuses on design and documentation under supervision. At a small studio, one architect often covers all four categories across every project. For help scoping the role precisely before you write the posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through a simple process.
Building Architect vs Tech Architect
The word architect causes real confusion in hiring because it names two completely unrelated jobs. Be clear which you mean, or you will attract the wrong candidates entirely.
| Trait | Building Architect | Tech Architect |
|---|---|---|
| Designs physical buildings | ||
| Designs software or IT systems | ||
| Requires an architecture license | ||
| Uses CAD and BIM tools | ||
| Requires computer science skills |
A building architect designs structures and needs a license; a tech architect (software, cloud, solutions, or data architect) designs technology systems and needs no architecture license. These templates are for building architects. If you are hiring for technology, you need a different posting: the software engineer job description templates cover technical roles. For engineering disciplines that work alongside architects, see the mechanical engineer job description templates.
Licensure and Hiring at a Small Firm
Licensure is what makes hiring an architect different from most roles, and it is the biggest filter on your applicant pool. Get it right in the posting, especially at a small studio where the principal handles hiring personally.
Skills and Requirements
Most architect roles value design ability, strong CAD and BIM skills, knowledge of building codes, and the license to practice. Beyond that, requirements shift by role, and the strongest postings use concrete language and name the discipline and license clearly.
| Weak bullet | Strong bullet |
|---|---|
| Design buildings | Develop designs and concepts for building projects |
| Make drawings | Prepare construction documents in AutoCAD and Revit |
| Know codes | Ensure designs meet building codes and regulations |
| Work with others | Coordinate with engineers, consultants, and contractors |
| Be licensed | Hold an architect license or progress toward NCARB/ARE |
Specific, measurable duties attract candidates who can actually do the work and signal a serious firm. Keep the language neutral and inclusive too, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on protected characteristics. For recognized tasks and skills you can borrow, the O*NET profile for architects lists standard responsibilities and work activities.
Architect Pay
Set your range using government data as a baseline, adjusted for role, experience, location, and firm. Pay rises from junior designers to licensed project architects.
Position your range against the role: junior architects and designers sit toward the lower end, while project architects and licensed senior staff earn more, and landscape architects earn a median of about $79,660. Do not confuse the building-architect figures with the tech roles that share the title, like database architects at about $135,980, which are a different field. Always state a range. It is now legally required in many states. Federal wage and hour rules also apply, so review the basics in the Department of Labor FLSA standards before you set pay.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a candidate accepts, the same document becomes the foundation for the offer and the onboarding plan. An architect needs a clear start because they quickly take on live projects, your software standards, and client relationships, and a smooth start gets them productive sooner.
Send a clear offer, collect new-hire paperwork including the I-9 and W-4, confirm licensure or registration status, and walk the new architect through your CAD and BIM standards, project process, and current work in the first weeks. Once you have your offer ready, an onboarding template gives your new hire a structured start, and the offer letter template handles the formal offer. FirstHR connects the offer, e-signature on documents, paperwork, and onboarding workflow in one place, so a small studio can manage the full process without a dedicated HR department.
Keeping signed documents and records on file matters even at a small firm, so the guide to HR document management explains how to organize personnel files without an HR team. As the studio grows, the guide to building an org chart helps you map where each architect fits and who they report to.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an architect do?
An architect plans and designs buildings and structures, then guides them through construction. Core duties include developing designs and concepts, preparing drawings and construction documents in CAD and BIM tools, ensuring designs meet building codes, coordinating with engineers and consultants, managing projects through design and construction, conducting site visits, and presenting to clients. The work blends design creativity with technical and regulatory knowledge. The specifics depend on the role: a project architect leads delivery, a junior architect produces drawings under supervision, and a landscape architect designs outdoor and site spaces. A clear job description tells candidates which architect role and discipline you are hiring for.
What should an architect job description include?
A strong architect job description includes a job summary, key responsibilities, required qualifications and licensure, the salary range, and how to apply, plus a request for a portfolio. Responsibilities should be concrete: develop designs, prepare construction documents in Revit, and ensure code compliance. State the degree and license requirement clearly, since most architect roles require a professional degree and a license earned through NCARB and the ARE. Name the software (AutoCAD, Revit), the project types, and whether the role is licensed or a designer position. Being specific about the discipline and license filters for candidates who fit and signals a serious firm.
What is the difference between a building architect and a tech architect?
They share a title but are completely different jobs. A building architect (the traditional meaning) designs physical buildings and structures, requires an architecture degree and a state license, and works with CAD and BIM tools. A tech architect, such as a software architect, solutions architect, cloud architect, or data architect, designs technology systems and software, requires computer science and engineering skills, and needs no architecture license. When you post an architect job description, make clear which you mean, since the disciplines, qualifications, and candidates do not overlap. If you are hiring for technology, you are looking for a software or systems role, not a licensed building architect.
What license does an architect need?
Most architect roles require a state license to use the title architect and to stamp drawings. Licensure in the United States typically requires a professional degree in architecture, completing the experience requirement through NCARB's Architectural Experience Program (AXP), and passing the Architect Registration Examination (ARE). Until licensed, professionals usually work under titles like architectural designer or intern architect and log experience hours. In your job description, decide whether the role requires a full license, accepts progress toward one, or is a designer role for the unlicensed, and state it clearly. This is the biggest qualifying filter, so be explicit to attract the right candidates.
What is the difference between an architect and a project architect?
An architect is the broad role of designing buildings, while a project architect is a more senior, delivery-focused role that leads a specific project and team. A project architect owns the technical delivery of a project, managing the production of construction documents, coordinating consultants, controlling schedule and budget, and serving as the main point of contact through construction. A general architect may focus more on design across projects. At a small firm, one architect may do both. Title the role to match the actual responsibility, since a project architect carries more project-management and leadership duties and is paid accordingly.
What is the salary range for an architect?
Architect pay varies by experience, role, location, and firm. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of about $96,690 for architects in May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent under $60,510 and the highest 10 percent over $159,800. Junior architects and designers earn toward the lower end, while project architects and licensed senior staff earn more. Landscape architects earn a median of about $79,660. Note that tech roles sharing the architect title, like database architects at about $135,980, are a different field entirely. Always state a salary range in your posting, since pay transparency is required in many states and a clear range attracts more qualified candidates.
How do I write an architect job description for a small firm?
Most architecture firms are small studios, so write for that reality rather than copying a large firm. Name the specific role and discipline (building, project, landscape, or designer), state the degree and license requirement clearly, list the software such as AutoCAD and Revit, and describe the project types and the variety of a small practice. Request a portfolio, which is standard for design hires. Be clear it is a building-design role, not a tech architect role, to avoid mismatched applicants. The small-firm template here is written specifically for an independent studio where the principal handles hiring without a dedicated HR department.
What happens after I hire an architect?
Once a candidate accepts, the job description becomes the basis for the offer and onboarding. An architect needs a clear start because they quickly take on projects, software, and client relationships. Send a clear offer, collect new-hire paperwork including the I-9 and W-4, confirm licensure or registration status, and walk them through your CAD and BIM standards, project process, and current work in the first weeks. A structured onboarding plan gets a new architect productive on live projects sooner. FirstHR handles the offer, e-signature on documents, paperwork, and onboarding workflow in one place, so a small architecture studio can onboard a new hire without a dedicated HR department.